Host wants to book outside Airbnb

[Hiten5]

Hello dear community,

I have seen a home on Airbnb with no reviews, but it is hosted by a Superhost with reviews from other listings.

However, on the property description, they have informed me to message them on WhatsApp, and would like to make the booking through TripAdvisor due to 'high taxes'. 

I have been messaging details of my trip on WhatsApp and they have now requested my contact information including a copy of my passport, so they can send me a 'Tripadvisor booking invitation', even though I cannot find the listing on the Tripadvisor website. 

Does this sound suspicious to anyone and may this be fraud?

Thanks for all the responses

[Patricia2526 · Accepted solution]

Hello @Hiten5 

Red flag for me. Booking outside the platform is against Airbnb TOS and can put you at risk, safer to transact on Airbnb platform to ensure safety and the security of your reservation.
if the host insist on booking outside of Airbnb, I suggest to report the host to Airbnb support, as this behavior is typically a violation of TOS.

[Gina2084]

Agree with other post that this is a huge red flag. Hosts don’t have the right to your passport info and you would make a huge mistake by continuing any conversations with this alleged “host”. Find somewhere reputable to stay with at least one review. 

[Fred13]

It is more than suspicious when someone list their place on Airbnb but yet tries to bait & switch the guest to bypassing them by either going direct through them or via another booking agency. Scam is a more accurate description.